


Mrs Lynde's visit

by theaa



Category: Anne with an E (TV)
Genre: Canon Divergence, set post 3x02
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-09-30
Updated: 2019-09-30
Packaged: 2020-11-08 09:27:01
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,931
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20833172
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/theaa/pseuds/theaa
Summary: Set post 3.02 - Mrs Lynde lives up to her reputation as Avonlea’s biggest gossip. Anne is surprised at the subject.





	Mrs Lynde's visit

**Author's Note:**

> I am not against Miss Rose. I think she’ll be a very good friend to Gilbert and a way for his (and perhaps Anne’s) character to develop. But a plot device she evidently is. But, I thought I’d play with the idea of Gilbert being the talk of the town. And Anne having no idea how to handle it.

The Avonlea gossip mill was working overtime, it seemed. Or at least Anne could only conclude that Mrs Lynde was putting in more than her fair share. True enough that Anne had come to appreciate the older lady’s virtues for their own merit - a straight-talking honest point of view was sometimes very useful, if not particularly welcomed at the first. But really, there was no one like Mrs Lynde for the uncanny ability to know everything before it was seemingly possible to. 

In the other room, Marilla poured out the tea and pushed a teacup towards her old friend, her brow furrowed. Anne could just see Mrs Lynde paused with the cup halfway to her lips through the open door to the kitchen. Outside the rain tapped lightly on the window frame. It had been threatening a downpour all day, otherwise Anne might have braved it and headed out to the barn with her schoolbooks instead. Instead she’d been cooped up indoors all day and her fingers were starting to cramp from gripping her chalk so tight. She pushed away her geometry problems and focused again on the quick lilt of Mrs Rachel’s voice from the other room. 

‘Can you credit it, Marilla? Sitting in the teashop in Charlottetown, bold as brass! I mean, really!’ She finished with a flourish, and a neat satisfied sip of her tea.

‘And how did you come to hear of this happening again, Rachel?’

‘It was Elizabeth Yaxley’s boy that saw them, in Charlottetown on an errand - you know the Yaxley’s, don’t you Marilla? I reckon the boy and Gilbert are of an age, but of course he works on the farm with his father. Never had much schooling. Terrible land apparently - I’ve always liked Mrs Yaxley, but alas they’re poor as church mice. And they’ve had a bad crop this year.’

‘They have?’ Marilla asked mildly, and Anne doubted she was paying as much attention as Mrs Lynde would like.

‘Oh, truly terrible, or so Thomas says. He often goes around to help them with their land when he has the time to spare it and when he did so last week Mrs Yaxley was asking after the new lady that she was sure we must have met and of course, Thomas had no idea who she was inquiring about.’

‘Indeed,’ murmured Marilla. By this point Anne knew for certain she was listening more avidly than her guardian. 

‘Well Thomas recounted the conversation to me later, but I was quite off-put that I was equally in the dark, but I knew just the tea shop involved so of course when I went to pick up my new hat I did a little asking around, and I remembered dear Marilla that you -’

Marilla made a small sound of surprise to be involved in Rachel’s story.

‘Yes, you Marilla. Didn’t you say that the boy was in Charlottetown every weekend for that doctor’s apprenticeship? And that was how he came to escort Anne on the train?’

Anne blinked at the mention of her name. Surely Mrs Lynde was not talking about her trip to the orphanage? Talking about Gilbert? Rachel, however, hardly paused for breath.

‘Well, I must admit I did pretend a slight affliction of the throat and went to call on the doctor myself, and sure enough, there she was. I can only assume that it was the same girl, but really I am quite confident in my assumption. She obviously works there too. Pretty, I will say. Very blonde. But _significantly_ older, I would guess.’

A funny sort of heavy feeling settled in Anne’s stomach. Mrs Lynde was gossiping about Gilbert…. and an older woman?

Marilla’s frown deepened. ‘Gibert Blythe is 18 years old, Rachel. Were you and Thomas not already married at his age? I’m sure he is quite old enough to arrange his own life and trips to coffee shops and tearooms.’

‘Well exactly, Marilla! 18 is quite an age, and high time for him to chose a girl to take courting! We all know the Gillis girl has been sweet on him since they were both in cradles, for example. He should choose someone from Avonlea at least!’

‘Forgive me Rachel, but I don’t believe you said you knew if he was courting this girl - woman-?’

‘Miss Winnifred Rose,’ Mrs Lynde supplied promptly. 

‘Of course you know her name,’ Marilla sighed. 

‘And so shall everyone in Avonlea by next week. Gilbert Blythe is one of our own, and this will not slip people’s notice.’

‘Well, it certainly hasn’t slipped yours,’ replied Marilla drily. ‘Besides, taking tea is not so great a crime - and they do work together.’

‘The Yaxley boy said it was a most formal affair!’ 

‘Well, I can see you are determined to turn this into a scandal Rachel and I must ask that you leave me out of it.’

Mrs Lynde harumphed a little and drained the last of her tea. ‘I am determined to do no such thing, but just you wait and see. It’s those Blythe boys - they always were heartbreakers.’ She set down her cup with a click and looked sternly at Marilla. ‘You would know, of course.’

Marilla flushed and pushed herself up to take away the crockery. ‘Yes, well. Gilbert has always seemed to me to be a nice, respectful, polite boy, but he’s a young man now and must be allowed to live his life. If the girl is older as you say then she must know what she is doing. I don’t see how a couple of cups of tea could hurt.’

Both the women had evidently forgotten Anne was still in the house, or apparently hadn’t considered the fact that she might be close by. Mrs Lynde’s voice dropped to an almost comic stage whisper.

‘Are you going to tell Anne?’

‘Tell Anne what?’

‘Why about Gilbert Blythe’s fancy woman, of course!’

Marilla actually snorted. ‘No I will not. This is Gilbert’s business, not mine. And if I might say Rachel, not yours either.’

‘But aren’t they two…?’

Anne held her breath. After Ruby’s comment about his ‘romantical’ eyes and their disastrous conversation about the Take Notice board and the way they had been sniping at each other recently, she was suddenly very interested in Marilla’s answer.

Marilla just sighed. ‘To tell the truth, I have no idea what runs through that girl’s head. They are friends - of a sort. And there have been definite times where I thought Gilbert was taking a shine to her, but you know Anne - she’s always so fantastical about things. I doubt she’s even considered it. Besides, she’s only 16 and has years of schooling ahead of her. Times have moved on, Rachel. Women can do more than marry these days.’

‘Yes, yes of course they can. Still, I don’t like the thought of Anne waking up one day to find she’s missed her opportunity.’

Marilla’s lips pursed. ‘Like me, you mean?’

‘‘Well now, Marilla.’

‘And,’ Marilla added waspishly. ‘Only a second ago you were referring to Ruby Gillis.’

‘As an example! Of course, we both know who I would really pick-’

‘Leave the young people be, Rachel, let them lead their own lives. Besides, you have enough on your plate with Miss Stacy, who at least is a grown woman and can refuse your suggestions.’

‘Well! I’m sorry I took the trouble to come up and share the news!’ Mrs Lynde sounded quite put-out, but Marilla only wiped her hands on her apron and nodded.

‘Well thank you for the scones anyway, Rachel. I must help Matthew with the cows now, though.’

Mrs Lynde picked up her hat and placed it smartly on her head, frowning. Anne watched the two women move towards the door with a strange lump in her throat.

Mrs Lynde thought - and Marilla suggested - that Gilbert liked her? In a romantical way? But Mrs Lynde also had news that he’s been seen in the company of another woman! It gave Anne a very queer feeling indeed, right in the pit of her stomach, and odd roiling sensation that made her feel quite sick, which she was sure wasn’t right. 

She was quite certain she didn’t like Gilbert - as more than a friend, of course. But the mystery woman! (_Woman_! Hadn’t she been referred to as a woman?) Anne wasn’t a woman! She might be 16 and flowered but she certainly didn’t feel properly grown up yet. To think Prissy Andrews nearly got married when she was 16 - Anne couldn’t even imagine it - and that was saying something indeed. In all her dreams of marriage, when she permitted herself to have them, she was much older and wiser and blissfully in love and confident in her husband. Not a confused school girl! 

But Gilbert was already so worldly and wise! She kept his letter from Trinidad on her dresser - not because it was from him of course, but because she never thought she’d own something that came from so far away, such an exciting place. And Gilbert had been there! And now he was training to become a doctor too! Of course he would like this Miss Rose - it would make perfect sense that he would want someone older and maturer to suit him and all the things he knew. 

Which he was very welcome to! But oh! Anne must admit to herself that if nothing else, her pride was a little dented. To think maybe that Marilla was right and Gilbert _had_ liked her, and then she’d been so awful to him and now he’d come to his senses and found this other beautiful lady instead. Who definitely did not have red hair, from the sounds of it. Anne bet that she didn’t have a single freckle either. 

The idea smarted. She wondered if she would ever meet her. Perhaps Gilbert would continue to see her on the weekends and they would take tea and study medical textbooks together and talk about their future, and she would never be party to that side of his life, which was a funny, painful thing to think about.

Or perhaps she would meet her because Gilbert would bring her to Avonlea and wouldn’t that be much worse? Because then perhaps he really would court her and everything would change again. 

Besides, if she met her, Anne would have to smile and nod politely at someone who was prettier and better than her in every way, only Gilbert had realized it. Anne really did try not to hate people without good reason to first, but she was having a hard time not hating this Miss Rose. 

She’d thought she knew Gilbert pretty well, and even though it would upset her to hear it, she was very sure she was closer to Gilbert than Ruby Gillis. But Queens was approaching and life seemed to have suddenly accelerated somehow and everyone seemed to be growing up without her, leaving her behind, including Gilbert. Especially Gilbert. 

When Marilla came in from the barn she found Anne curled up by the fire, the geometry book on the floor, a firm frown on her face.

‘Gracious child, whatever is that look for? Be careful the wind doesn’t change and you’re stuck like that.’

Anne sprung to her feet imediately. ‘I’m not a child Marilla! I’m 16! I’m a woman! And I wish you’d address me so!’ she snapped, before flouncing up the stairs to go throw herself onto her bed. 

Marilla only sighed and bent to pick up the abandoned school materials. ‘If you say so, dear.’

**Author's Note:**

> I have made a tumblr for AWAE purposes. cuthbertblythe.tumblr.com - come join me!


End file.
